The NOTI facility has been created by the National Union of Seafarers of India (NUSI) to support competence development in offshore shipping among its members, promoting best practice as they progress up the chain of command in this vital, fast-growing sector.

“The NOTI facility provides the missing link in training for Indian seafarers working in the offshore sector today,” commented NUSI Chairman Captain Nand Hiranandani. “As a not for profit organisation, we have been able to make an investment in the future of all seafarers and provide a means for them to continue their professional development and further their careers. The centre that ARI Simulation has provided to NUSI/ITF Trust for Indian seafarers is truly world-class. There is nothing like it in India and little to compare to it anywhere in the world.”

The NOTI center also includes a full mission offshore vessel engine simulator, an offshore crane simulator, a full mission DP-2 bridge simulator and a unique eight-station multifunctional classroom, complete with functionality for DP, ECDIS, Radar, ship handling and oilfield navigation training.

This large and complex project drew on close to a decade of offshore simulator research, development and modeling. Assembly and installation began in the spring of 2013, involving ARI personnel from functions including software development, manufacturing, assembly, engineering, integration and on-site project supervision and co-ordination.

Attendance at the inauguration ceremony drew in high profile attendees from around the world including former IMO Secretary General Efthimios Mitropoulos, Norway’s Ambassador to India, His Excellency Eivind Homme, Director-General of Shipping of the Government of India, Shri Gautam Chatterjee, Chairman and Managing Director of India’s Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd Sudhir Vasudeva, Director (Offshore) of Shipping Corporation of India, Arun Gupta and Chairman of the ITF Offshore Group, Norrie McVicar.

All simulators have been built to meet and exceed the latest standards from Det Norske Veritas, the International Marine Contractors Association and the Nautical Institute and have been designed to support competency development and assessment programmes in accordance with international oil and national company requirements.

The simulators will be used to offer courses across the following disciplines:

The tightly-integrated features of NOTI centre allow for complete simultaneous operations (SIMOPS) scenario training, with multiple trainees across multiple simulators able to co-operate in a single mission. Such scenarios can include end-to-end simulations including logistics, towing, rig positioning, subsea installations, intervention and standard as well as heavy lift crane operations at sea.